Transmission mechanism for automotive vehicles



F. H. COZZENS TRANSMISSION MEOHANTSM FOR AUTOMOTIVE. VEHICLES Filed May 5. 1920 4 Sheets-Smet 2 oct. 2s, 1924.

F. H. cozzENs '513374 N MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES TRANSMISSIO Filed May 5, 1920 4 sheetssheet 1,513,374 F. H. cozzENs TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR AU'lOMOTIVEl VEHICLES 'Filed May 5 1920 4 Sheeb-Shee'vv 4 Mlm;

Patented @et 2g, 1924i.

FRED H. CGZZENS, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y.

/ 10 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED I-I. Cozzms, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York, in the county and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transmission Mechanism for Automotive Vehicies, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to change-speed transmission gearing for automobiles, particularly heavy tractors. In vehicles of this character', designed for high power and heavy hauling, it is especially desirable to operate at all times at an efficient speed, but the relatively low speed of travel of such tractors, say from ten to about twelve miles per hour even under the best conditions of load and road, makes the usual three speeds forward and one in reverse inadequate for the most effective utilization of the fuel. It is therefore becoming the practice to provide a higher number of transmission speeds, in some cases as many as twelve forward. rIhe present invention is directed to this feature, and its chief object, briefly stated, is to provide a simple and convenient gearset or transmission by which an adequate number of speeds may be obtained, say eighty forward and two in reverse.

In carrying out my invention in the prefcrred manner I provide, in addition to the usual driving shaft connected to the motor through a suitable clutch, and the usual driven shaft connected to the driving wheels, a countershaft on which all the sliding gears (for forward speeds) are. mounted, the gears on the driving and driven shafts being immovable on the shafts, either integral therewith or fixed thereto. The driving shaft has two or more 4driving gears of diferent sizes, and the driving energy is transmitted to the countershaft from one or another of these gears to oneY or another of a plurality of driving gears slidable on the countershaft, while from the latter the energy is transmitted from the remaining sliding gears to the fixed gears on the driven shaft. The countershaft can thus be rotated at two or more speeds, and as a result the driven shaft can be rotated at (at least) twice as many speeds as it has driven-gears. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings the driving shaft has two fixed driving gears, the countershaft has two sliding driven gears and four sliding FOR A'TOMIGTIVE VEHICLES.

1920. Serial No. 378,965.

driving gears, and the driven shaft has four fined driven gears, thus providing four forward speeds for each speed of the countere sha-ft, or eight forward speeds in all.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gearing,

the case and bearings being in vertical section, with the gears in neutral.

Figs. 2, 3, and 1 are cross sections on lines 2 2, 3--3, and H, respectively, of,

Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the transmission with the cover plate and shifting mechanism removedV and with the bearings for the driving shaft shown in section.

Fig. 6 isa horizontal detail section about on line 6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, on line 7-7 of Fig. 2, showing a detail of the mechanism for actuating the Vsteering mechanism of the vehicle by energy taken from the transmissionv gearset.

Fig. 8 is a detail side View of parts shown in Fig. 1 but showing certain gears in a different operative position.

Fig. 9 is a detail side View, from the left of Fig. 3, showing the reverse gears in engaged or operative position.

rIhe driving Vshaft 10, Fig. 1, the countershaft 11, splined as indicated, and the driven shaft 12 extend longitudinally ofthe vehicle in the usual manner, and are mounted in suitable bearings 13, 14, 15, respectively, carried in the end walls of the transmission box 16. On top of the latter is a slip-rod casing 17, in which four slip rods are mounted, designated by 18, 19, 20, 21, 2, having the usual forks or yokes 22, 23, 2li, 25 for shifting the sliding gears as hereinafter described. Each slip-rod has an impositivo lock of the conventional type, composed of a spring-pressed ball 26, Fig. 1, cooperating with three notches in the slip-rod itself.

The driving sha-ft 10 is rotated by the motor (not shown) through a exible joint 27, Fig. 1. The present embodiment is designed for a four-wheel drive, and hence the driven shaft 12 is provided with two flexible joints, 28, 29, the first for connection with the front wheels and the second for connection with the rear wheels. The latter joint is conveniently incorporated in the brakedrum 30, on which is shown a brakeband 31 having a friction lining 32.

The driving shaft 10 has two fixed gears, 33, 34, integral therewith, and on the main or forward eountershaft ll aretwo slidingl gears 35, 36, integral with theslip collar 37 which is shifted by the forli or yoke 25 and slip-rod 2l to bring' gear 35 into mesh with gear 33, as in Fig. la or gear 36 into mesh with gear Se as in Fig. 8. lt will be understood, from the relative sizes of the gears mentioned, that in the first position, Fig. l, the eountershaft will be rotated at a lower speed than Yinthe second position, Fig. 2a being assumed ofcourse that the engine speed is not varied beyond certain limits,

The sliding 3@ 39 on the counterhaft ll are integral with the slipeollar el), nd can `be shifted by forli 23 and slip-rod 9 to mesh gear 3S with gear il or gear vith gear s2, gears ll and l2 being-fixed on die driven shaft l2. Since the countershaft itself has .two speeds it will be seen that the first speed of the `driven shaft (produced whengears SSand l-l are in mesh) has alow speed, produced when gears and 35 are in mesh, and ahighspeed, prodiu-ed when gears 34 and 36 are in mesh. Similarly, the second speed of fthe shaft l2, produced when gears 89 and l2 are mesheth `has a low and a high speed, accordingly as 33 and 35, or 34 and are inmesh. in like mannerygears i3 and del, integral with follar 45, can be shifted by fork 22 and rod 18 to bring gear i3 into mesh with gear d6, producing` a low anda high third speed, or gear d into mesh with gear d?, producing` a low and a high fourth speer. ln .short eight forward speeds are provided.

Reverse drive is yeffeetet` :through the medium of a reverse countershaft i8 Furs. 3,

5, 6 yand 9, havingsliding gears e9, 5G integral with a slip collar 5l shifted from neutralby fork 2e and sli-p rod 2O to ring gear intomesh with gear 39 on shaft l2, as in Fig. 9a and `simultaneously bring gear .l-9 into mesh with vgear 4L thus providing two speeds in reverse by reason -of the two speeds of the countershaft ll.

For the-purpose of actuating the steering mechanism (not shown) a power-steer driving' shaft 52 is provided (see Fig. 2) parallel 'to the driven shaft and having lined gear 53 constantly in mesh with gear e? on driven shaft l2. rEhe shaft 52 also has a fixed miter gear 5st, 7, meshing' with a miter'gear 55, Fie'. 2, on the stub shaft 56 which :has a hevel .gear driving abevel gearfS Xed on the drilfen shaft 59. Sufn iiceitto say-that the `shaft 59 (being driven at variable speed according to the speed of the shaft l2, `which has eight speeds forward and two in Ireverse) will aetuate the steering mechanism at a variable rate depending` upon the forward or rearward speed of travel of the vehiclev lt will be noted that in the mechanism illustrated the gears onthe driven shaft l2 are all larger than the en the drivii j shaft l0 extept gear 7 which is the sv size as fear 33 and smaller than gear ll'ence the low fourth speed is equivalent to direct drive and the high fourth is an everdrive, while `at the other speeds the driven shaft rotates at less rate than the driving` shaft l0.

lt is to be understood that the ventiogi is not limited to the particular Constr etion herein specifically illustrated and described but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit l claim z l. ln a variable speed transmission venring for automotive vehicles, in Comb' tion, a driving shaft, forward ceuntershafu variable speed gearing` between the said sliafts to drive the conntershaft vai speed, a driven shaft, a reverse eountershai' and relatively shiftable gearing` foiI eouiieeting the reverse Countershaft with the forward countershaft and the driven shaft to drive the latter at eonstant speed relative to the speed of the forward countershaft, said variable speed `gearing'y between the? driving `shaft and forward counter shafts being adapted to drive the forward counte shaft at `a plurality of speeds to thereby drive the `driven shaft at a plurality of reverse speeds.

2. ln a variable speed transmission gearin@v for automotive vehicles, in combination, adriven shaft a forward Countershaft7 a verse countershaft*y means for driving` the driven shaft through the reverse countersh.L i i, at constant speed relative to the speed of the forward eountershaft, and relatively.7 shiftable gearing between the driving;` shaft and the forward eountershaft to drive the latter at variable speed relatively to the speed of the driving` shaft. said last mentioned gearing being adapted to effect a multiple speed reverse drive upon the driven shaft.

3. ln a variable speed transmission gearing, in Combination, a driven shaft having` a plurality of gears fixed thereon7 yforward counter-.shaft having; a plurality of shiftable gears to mesh selectively with only the gears on thedriven shaft, a driving' shafthav-ing a plurality of `Q'ears fixed thereon, va plurality of shiftable I@rearson the counter-shaft to mesiselectively with` only the aforesaid. gears fixed on the driving` shaft9 a reverse counter-shaft, and gearing on the reverse eountershaft1 shiftable into and out of mesh with gears on the forward countershaftan d the driven shaft.

ln testimony whereof l hereto my signature.

rieten ri. eozziins. 

